Recipe: Potica (Nut Roll)

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap – 2000-12-20
From: recipelink.com

Recipe(tried): POTICA [NUT ROLL]
Posted By: WIL/IL
Date: February 6th 1999
Board: recipelink.com Ethnic Recipe Exchange

This is an old [about 45 yrs] recipe from a Slovenian cookbook. I have made this many times with very good results
please read through carefully. I cut the roll into 3-4 sections and place on cookie sheets to rise and bake. I have used similar dough recipes, with same ingredients [except cake yeast] but more modern mixing methods. The results
were good. If you cut into sections be sure to seal the ends of each roll as some of the filling may leak out. You can freeze extra potica for future use.

4 tablespoons lukewarm milk
1 cake yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
Stir lightly together and place in warm place to rise

Place 5 cups of sifted flour in a bowl, make a depression and when the yeast mixture has risen, pour it into this depression. Take about a tablespoon of the flour from the side, stir it gently into the mixture, and allow it to rise again.

during this rising period prepare:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/4 cup melted butter or oleo
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
Blend them well in a bowl

Now add this to the risen yeast and flour bowl adding 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Now take a long handled wooden paddle or spoon and beat well into a smooth ball of dough. When it begins to make bubbles and separates from the sides of the bowl, it is ready to be covered with a clean cloth and allowed to rise about 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.

FILLING
1/2 pound honey
1 can milk or 1/2 pint sweet cream
1/4 pound butter or oleo [1/2 cup]
4 cups ground walnuts or almonds
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Dash of powdered cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons rum
2 teaspoons vanilla
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
3 egg whites
1 cup raisins [may be omitted]

Wash and clean the raisins combine honey and milk in top of double boiler, heat thoroughly. Take off fire and put in the butter and as the butter melts it will reduce the temperature of the mixture to the proper degree. Place in a large bowl and add the walnuts or almonds, egg yolks, sugar, clove, cinnamon, lemon juice, rum, vanilla and lemon. Blend well and fold in the egg whites, beaten stiff, but not dry. If mixture is a bit thick, thin with milk or cream.

Place a clean cloth on the table, sprinkle lightly with flour and spread it evenly. Roll out the dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Now pull gently working from the center to the outer edges, until the dough is evenly thin. Spread with filling and sprinkle raisins evenly over it. [THIS TAKES A LARGE TABLE ABOUT 3 FEET BY 5 FEET]

Now grasp the cloth along one of the long sides, give and up and over flip with the cloth and let it roll up the dough. Either roll the dough around itself or cut into strips to fit load size pans which have been greased and floured. Cover with cloth and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Brush top with egg yolk and bake in 375 degree oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees after 15 minutes, and continue baking until nicely browned and sides step away from pans. Total time in oven, about 45 minutes. Place on racks and cool in baking dishes. Turn out on serving plates and sprinkle with powdered sugar.